Mary M. Divers, 72

LACONIA — Mary M. Divers, 72, departed this earth on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023, to the great sadness of her friends and family. We are certain that she continues waving her baton and blowing her trumpet with the many musicians who have preceded her.

Mary’s life began in Havre-de-Grace, Maryland, on Jan. 31, 1950. She picked up the baritone horn in 4th grade, joined the junior/senior high school bands, and eventually learned the sousaphone, too. At the end of 10th grade, her family moved to Laconia. During her stint in the Laconia High School band, she was a student director, played solos, began to learn the trombone, participated for two years in the New Hampshire All-State Band and received the Jay Hurd Memorial Outstanding Band Member Award at graduation.

She wanted to become a music teacher from the time she was in 8th grade. That became a reality when she was graduated from Plymouth State College (now Plymouth State University) with a degree in music education, as well as receiving the “Band Member of the Year” award in 1974. Her first teaching job was in Colebrook. After three years she went on to earn her Master of Music Degree at West Chester State College in Pennsylvania.

Mary co-founded the New Horizons Band of the Lakes Region with Karen Simpson in 2007. She directed it until health issues made that impossible. She made a swift transition to playing trumpet in the band after that. She was a co-founder of the Granite State Ringers along with Joan Fossum in 2007 as well, and was an active participant and bell ringer for 10 years.

She directed a choir in Ashland for special music, directed the choir and bell choir at her church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Laconia; gave instrumental music lessons to adults and children in her home; played in a jazz band headed up by Lisa Noordergraff of the Freese Brothers Big Band; and participated in band camp each summer at Snow Pond Center for the Arts in Sidney, Maine.

Lest you think Mary’s only interest was music, let me enlighten you on some of her other favorite activities. In the last 12 years, Mary had become a master of Mahjong with weekly games held at her house, she played Pinochle, Bridge, Skip-Bo, and she had board game nights with her friends where everyone wanted her on their team when baseball questions came up. She was a life-long fan of baseball (Go Red Sox), loved going to live games, but settled for listening to them from home when she couldn’t attend, and she played fantasy baseball.

Mary worked in training and development at the NH State School from 1975 until its closing in 1991, and assisted with the home care for one of the former residents, Joseph Norman Moses, until his death in 2018.

One of Mary’s passions for the past eight years or so was learning about her ancestry. With the help of some very dedicated friends, Mary was able to visit her birthplace, the cemetery where her parents and sister are buried, and to access many documents from the past by visiting archives in person and online.

She is survived by brothers, Mark (Linda) of Brevig, Alaska, Eric (Gracie) of St. Petersburg, Florida, Drew (Rachel) of Sebring, Florida, and Jeff (Jenn) of Laconia; one sister, Anne (Paul) Mantoya of Sante Fe, New Mexico; many nieces and nephews, and friends galore. Mary was predeceased by her father William; mother Madge; and sister, Jane Divers.

Calling Hours will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the Carriage House at Wilkinson-Beane Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH 03246.

A Celebration of Life and music will be held at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2238 Parade Road, Laconia, NH, at 2:30 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, followed by light refreshments in the Fellowship Hall.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her name to the New Horizons Musical Organization of the Lakes Region, 197 Daniel Webster Hwy, Belmont, NH 03220, or to the Granite State Ringers, P.O. Box 2522, Concord, NH 03253, or through PayPal via www.granitestateringers.org/support.

Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, Laconia, NH, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com.